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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Western Scotland birding (2 Viewers)

allanpcameron said:
On the way home did a bit better at the mouth of Endrick between Balmaha and Drymen. Wheatear, meadow pipits, skylarks, loads of sand martins, shovelers, canada geese, tufted ducks, mallards, swallows, which along with swifts and house martins and a cuckoo from the car, meant I'd had a pretty spring day. Stopped on the road at Stockiemuir to watch the black grouse. So a disappointing start, but a pretty good end.
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It was really good you saw some Swifts I didn't know they were around this far north just yet. Did you actually see the Cuckoo?

Also, can you give me any pointers for seeing the Black Grouse? I don't know this area too well, I see them mentioned regularly on Clyde Birds, but I've love to see them. I went walking around the Whangie last year, and I believe that overlooks Stockiemuir? Are they visible all day, or better in the morning?
 
The cuckoo flew over the road as I was driving back towards Aberfoyle, as was the swift.
If you drive past the car park for the Queens View and Whangie heading away from Bearsden there are two parking places on the right hand side of the road, stop at the second (1/2 mile), which is surrounded by a wall. Across the road there is a field which is very green grass and the grouse are quite obvious. The attached digiscoped photo was taken in the evening, around 6pm. There were about 12 birds.
They're fairly clear through bins, though a scope might be better.
Good luck. I take it the bean geese have left the country?

JTweedie said:
It was really good you saw some Swifts I didn't know they were around this far north just yet. Did you actually see the Cuckoo?

Also, can you give me any pointers for seeing the Black Grouse? I don't know this area too well, I see them mentioned regularly on Clyde Birds, but I've love to see them. I went walking around the Whangie last year, and I believe that overlooks Stockiemuir? Are they visible all day, or better in the morning?
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Bit of a marathon today. Went to Baron's Haugh at 4.30am for a dawn chorus walk, first birds singing as always on these walks were Robin, Blackbird and Song Thrush. We didn't go into any of the hides, but it was warbler central this morning, with Chiffchaff, Willow Warbler, Sedge Warbler, Blackcap and Whitethroat all singing and at least once showing. We even saw some behaviour with the Willow Warbler, a male was calling and a female came and landed a few branches below him quivering her wings - they were up to no good! ;) I'm sure I heard a Grasshopper Warbler, but it was at the same time as a hundred other birds singing so I couldn't be sure. We also heard this very deep growl sound coming from behind the shrubs - perhaps a badger?

I took a drive down to Lochwinnoch, they had their annual dawn chorus walk this morning too, but when I got there everyone had left and it was just after 7am, so great to get the reserve to myself for a while. Sedge Warbler, Blackcaps and Willow Warblers showing very well, and there was a mixed flock of over 100 Swallows, Sand and House Martins over Castle Semple Loch.

I then took a drive up to Muirshiel. I did the walk to the old mine, and en route got Wheatear, Mistle Thrush, Meadow Pipit, Sky Lark, Raven, and my first ever sightings of not one but two Cuckoos. I'd heard them for years, but so glad to finally clap my eyes on them.

Got tomorrow off work, so I'm hoping to try and get to the coast for some seabird action. Perhaps Ayr, or maybe down to Girvan to see if the boat trips to Ailsa Craig are on yet, does anyone think it's still a bit early for the majority of seabirds, e.g. Gannets, Puffins etc?
 
I had a walk around the Hogganfield Loch today, was surprised by the numbers of greylags that are around, and among them one Barnacle goose, which I delighted about, and if I could figure out how to get photos off my phone I post it. Lots of great crested grebes including young. Pochards as well hundreds of tufted and a lot of mallards.
 
I'm selling my car at the weekend in an attempt to save some money, so that'll mean a bit of a cut back on any birding I can do. I guess this'll spur me on to finally join my local birding groups in the hope of going on some organised trips.

Also, I think I may now do a few longer birding holidays in hotspots through the year rather than getting out somewhere every week.
 
I went for a walk round Barons Haugh yesterday afternoon and met up with the local group who were very helpful with their knowledge and use of scopes.

Highlights included 2 Greenshank, 2 Black-Tailed Godwit, 4 Common Sandpiper, 8 Snipe, GSW over the river, Little Grebe on the haugh, 11 juv Goosander putting on an impression of the Severn Tidal bore on the river after being flushed by some canoeists, and my latest lifer, a Water Rail, seen at great distance from the Centenary Hide. A really enjoyable afternoon.
 
Sitting in work today, I got an e-mail just after 12 from a colleague asking if I'd been out for lunch? She said she'd just come back in and noticed a large bird of prey standing out in the street looking in at the Radisson Hotel. She said it looked scared.

Hmm, I thought, probably a gull, but on the jacket went and I just had to pop out to see what it was. Rightly enough, standing at the window was a juvenile LBB Gull.

When I got back in the office, I e-mailed her and told her what it was and she said she her a guy say it was an albatross!

When I left the office tonight it was still hanging around outside the hotel, but the street was getting really busy so I hope it will feel pressured to move on. It may just be out the nest, but it didn't look it was being still being fed by the adults, just hope it learns quickly to seek out some food.
 
JTweedie said:
Sitting in work today, I got an e-mail just after 12 from a colleague asking if I'd been out for lunch? She said she'd just come back in and noticed a large bird of prey standing out in the street looking in at the Radisson Hotel. She said it looked scared.

Hmm, I thought, probably a gull, but on the jacket went and I just had to pop out to see what it was. Rightly enough, standing at the window was a juvenile LBB Gull.

When I got back in the office, I e-mailed her and told her what it was and she said she her a guy say it was an albatross!

When I left the office tonight it was still hanging around outside the hotel, but the street was getting really busy so I hope it will feel pressured to move on. It may just be out the nest, but it didn't look it was being still being fed by the adults, just hope it learns quickly to seek out some food.
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Those gulls can look albatross-like to the untrained eye, JT Tweedie! ;)

what are the chances? Yellow-nosed Albert in Glasgow! Oh yeah !
 
Last night at about 18.20hrs attracted outside by the commotion of a large group of Swallows to find them mobbing an Osprey which slowly flew off over Kilbarchan (its general direction could have taken it over Lochwinnoch!)

Nice caravan tick!
 
JTweedie said:
Sitting in work today, I got an e-mail just after 12 from a colleague asking if I'd been out for lunch? She said she'd just come back in and noticed a large bird of prey standing out in the street looking in at the Radisson Hotel. She said it looked scared.

Hmm, I thought, probably a gull, but on the jacket went and I just had to pop out to see what it was. Rightly enough, standing at the window was a juvenile LBB Gull.

When I got back in the office, I e-mailed her and told her what it was and she said she her a guy say it was an albatross!

When I left the office tonight it was still hanging around outside the hotel, but the street was getting really busy so I hope it will feel pressured to move on. It may just be out the nest, but it didn't look it was being still being fed by the adults, just hope it learns quickly to seek out some food.
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I saw a juv Gull on Waterloo Street the other morning walking from Central Station. It too was just standing on the pavement doing very little. Maybe this is normal behaviour for the city youngsters...?
 
Waxwings at Inveraray

A fock of about 40 Waxwing around the car park area of Inveraray today.

Seen first at 11.30 then again at 2.30 feeding on a Chinese Rowan by the Primary School.

Seems rather early to see so many on the west coast so just wondering if they have been seen anywhere else.

Dull wet day so no photos unfortunately.

Neil
 
There have been several reports of Waxwing this week. Reported sightings include Wishaw, West End of Glasgow and Arran.
 
Ben Nevis said:
45 Waxwings this afternoon,on the trees surrounding the Toryglen Football Centre,near Hampden Park.
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There has been continued Waxwing activity across the south side of Glasgow, although the larger flocks of hundreds seem to have gone, I'm now seeing 40 or so on a daily basis.
 
Loch Ardinning

I was walking the dogs at Loch Ardinning near Strathblane today. Beautiful winter sunshine but bloomin cold!

Birds of note: treecreeper, reed bunting, 2 male and 2 female goosander on the loch, flock of around 6 goldcrests, 4 to 5 bullfinches (at least 2 males), flock of long-tailed tits (approx. 8), a kestrel and a jay!

Lovely spot with cracking views across to Ben Lomond from the high moor area.
 
I had a morning at Baron's Haugh today. The Haugh and Carbarns Pool were mostly frozen over, but birds of interest included:

Shoveler, Goosander (4), Goldeneye, Teal (c200), Canada Goose, Lesser Redpoll (c40), Fieldfare & Redwing in all areas, Treecreeper, Bullfinches (4), Buzzard
 
Snow brings brambling.

The downside of the snowy weather has the silver lining of the winter birds re-appearing in the garden. A flock of siskins yesterday and a brambling today.
 

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Down Ayrshire way there are still 3 Snow Bunting on the Old Course at preswick usually around the 12th or on the beach feeding.
There was a shorelark at Seamill earlier in the week but no-one could find it this morning.The water pipit was at the north end of the headland 200 yards south of Seamill Hydro,and it is usually tucked into the corner near the houses just where the headland starts.It flies around a lot and is easy to see.There was a Kingfisher here briefly today ,and a greenshank is in the area.
Over the last week i've had an adult Mediterranean Gull at troon Harbour and on Barassie Shore from time to time.When they are around you are more likely to see them in the late afternoon at Barassie as the gulls stop off here for an hour or two before heading out to roost on Lady isle.
 

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